Chase Hampton, who was considered a Top 100 Minor League prospect in 2024 and ranked as high as No. 6 in the Yankees system, was claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
Hoping to be the franchise that finally extracts the massive potential out of a former Top 100 prospect, the St. Louis Cardinals claimed 25-year-old right-handed pitcher Chase Hampton off waivers on Monday.
Hampton was the No. 6-ranked prospect in the New York Yankees Minor League system as recently as September of 2024 before tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow on Feb. 19, 2025. Out of baseball in 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Hampton pitched at Class-A, High-A and Double-A in 2026 in the Yankees’ Minor League system. After going 0-6 with an 8.18 ERA, the Texas Tech University product was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Sept. 7 and claimed five days later by the Washington Nationals. When Washington needed the spot on its 40-man roster, Hampton was designated for assignment by the Nats on Sept. 26 and claimed by the Cardinals on Sept. 28.
Hampton gives the Cardinals 39 players on their 40-man roster as they head into the offseason. The Cardinals finished the season at 77-85 and in fourth place in the National League Central Division.
The Cardinals also made several other moves on Monday to clean up their roster as they head into the offseason. Catcher Jimmy Crooks, reliever Ryan Fernandez, starting pitcher Richard Fitts, starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe, reliever Matt Svanson and starter Tekoah Roby were recalled from being optioned to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. Crooks, Fernandez and Svanson helped Memphis reach the International League championship round where they lost the three-game series to Rochester (Nats), 2-1.
Slugging outfielder Joshua Baez, third baseman Blaze Jordan, outfielder Everson Pereira and starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins were reinstated from the Injured List. Baez, who set history on Aug. 15 by homering in the first three at bats of his MLB career, ended the season on the sidelines with an oblique strain. Pereira missed time after being hit on the back of the left hand by a fastball, and Dobbins recently underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow.
Hampton, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-hander, was a sixth-round selection by the Yankees in the 2022 MLB Draft. He showed off his enormous promise in 2023 by striking out 145 hitters in 106 2/3 innings of work.
He went into the 2024 season ranked No. 72 by Baseball America, No. 92 by MLB Pipeline and No. 56 by Baseball Prospectus among Minor League prospects.
However, he made just seven starts in 2024 and saw his K/9 rate drop from 12.2 in 2023 to 7.7 in 2024.
Finally recovered from the 2025 Tommy John surgery, Hampton made 17 starts this past season. He struck out 55 batters in 56 innings of work, equating to 9.2 K/9.
